


Discoveries

by Epher



Category: Justified
Genre: Coming Out, Exploring Sexuality, M/M, Raylan/Winona in the beginning, Tim/OC in the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-08 00:23:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13446570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epher/pseuds/Epher
Summary: Raylan finds Tim and Winona at the bar together and comes to the wrong conclusions. The truth is even more shocking.Working Title: The One Where Raylan Finds Out Tim Is Gay And Has A Crisis





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this after the original chapter one (which is now chapter two). I always liked the idea of Tim having a cute twink boyfriend, and I borrowed a character from my previous fandom to fill that role; though I wouldn’t exactly call him a “boyfriend” here. He’s a background character and so different from canon so I just listed him as an OC.

Leave it to Raylan Givens to turn a night upside-down.

Tim had brought his sugar baby to _Louisville_ of all places, hoping it was far enough away from Lexington that he wouldn’t see anyone he knew. Eita wasn’t much for going out, thank God, but when he did want to go somewhere, Tim made sure it was far away from prying eyes.

While they were at a stoplight, though, Eita put both of his hands on the passenger side window and yelled, “Is that who I think it is?!”

Tim glanced over, expecting to see some kind of celebrity or one of Eita’s stripper friends, but instead he cursed. “God _fucking_ damn it, son of a _bitch_ ,” he said to the very clear image of Raylan Givens approaching some kind of music bar.

Eita turned to him quickly, his fluffy ombré hair bouncing with the movement. “Can we spy on him?!”

Tim glared at him. “No, fuck you. We’re going to the IMAX.” The light turned green, and Tim stepped on the gas quicker than what was necessary.

“Tim, please,” Eita sounded urgent. He didn’t often use Tim’s name, preferring to call him some annoying pet name like _Gutterbaby_.

“Listen,” Tim said, not slowing down, “I get as big a boner for drama as you do, but not this, and you know it. Raylan _cannot_ see you and I together.”

“I won’t touch you at all, I’ll act completely straight.”

Tim couldn’t help but snort, even though he was trying to be serious. “Baby, you couldn’t act straight if you were paid a million dollars. No, no one can see us together. You’re a flaming twink, and you’re seven years younger than me.”

“Exactly,” Eita said, “No one will guess that I’m with you. I’m way too pretty for you.”

Well, he was right about that.

“Besides,” Eita continued, “I’ll flirt with someone else, angle myself away from you, even if he sees he won’t put two and two together. From what you’ve said he’s an idiot.”

Tim grimaced. “Why would I drive an hour and a half out of Lexington to hang out with my strikingly attractive and questionably young gay buddy if there wasn’t something risky going on?”

“Maybe I live here,” Eita offered. A few second passed, then he gasped and unbuckled his seat belt to dig around in the back seat.

Tim slowed down a little bit. “Babe, put your seatbelt on.”

Eita ignored him, and a moment later he returned to his seat with a little black and blue patterned dress Tim had bought for him earlier.  


“No,” Tim demanded, but Eita was already undressing. He cussed, knowing Eita was right. The dress was loose at the top with a pleated skirt, and when paired with the little jacket that went with it, it gave him a convincing feminine figure. The makeup and heels weren’t even necessary, but Eita liked to wear that anyway.

“It won’t work,” Tim lied.

Eita dug some makeup from his bag and was putting it on in the pull-down mirror, as if the eye shadow and eyeliner wasn’t enough. “Sweetie, didn’t you hear? White people can’t tell Asians apart. Cowboy won’t know the difference.” He popped his lips after applying a dark red lipstick.

Tim tried harder. “Maybe, until you open your mouth. Your falsetto is shit, and you know it.”

“Guess I just have to keep my mouth shut then.”

“Well that would be a treat, wouldn’t it.”

Eita turned to him with a smile. “It’ll open again when we get home. And not just for wine.”

Tim glanced at him. He wasn’t really going to try bribing him, was he? Eita had been on a dry spell for a while, saying he was too burned out from working as a stripper to want sex when he got home. And as much as Tim craved it, he didn’t want it unless Eita did. Tim sighed. “Baby, don’t do this. I know you don’t want to—“

“Gutterbaby, listen.” There was that obnoxious nickname. “You get boring sometimes, and I haven’t been feeling it lately. But I’ve _seen_ the way you look at that cowboy and it’s better than porn.”

Tim swallowed. “And if you pop a boner in that dress?”

Eita paused, but Tim didn’t look at him. He knew he was making a suggestive face. “Then I guess I’ll just have to cross my legs like a proper lady and wait till we get back to Lexington.”

“Can you wait?” Tim asked.

Eita chuckled, low and sultry. “When I make a comeback, I make it good.”

Tim knew what that meant, and he was tempted. Suddenly, the IMAX wasn’t sounding so fun. 

—

Tim wasn’t sure why he thought this was worth it. He kept going back and forth on it. Yeah, he wanted a piece of Eita, but it meant he had to spend who knows how long watching Raylan Givens drink with his ex-wife. Well, not _watching_ , but pretending to watch the country singer while keeping tabs on them in his peripheral. Raylan was facing away so he couldn’t see Tim or Eita, but Winona sat across from him and only had to look in the right spot to see them. Since when was he seeing his ex-wife, anyway?

It was annoying, and stressful too. He was convinced Raylan wouldn’t peg Eita as a man, but Winona was another story. Women had a way of figuring people out.

“Who’s she?” Eita asked around his glass of wine. He was hanging off Tim’s arm, so Tim gave him permission to speak as long as it was quiet.

Tim didn’t answer for a minute. Eventually, he sighed. “Winona, Raylan’s ex-wife.”

Eita gasped softly, and Tim could feel his eyes on him. “Kinky,” he whispered.

Tim grimaced. “She left him for an ugly, pussy realtor. His name is _Gary_ , too. What the _fuck_ was she thinking.”

“Maybe he has a bigger dick,” Eita offered.

Tim raised his eyebrows. “So she divorced him?”

“I’d leave a man for a better dick if I had to.”

“I know. That’s why I won’t marry you.”

“That’s wise.”

Eventually, Winona spotted him, and an argument ensued. 

“Uh oh,” Eita whispered, “Trouble in paradise.”

Tim felt Raylan turn around and glance at him, and his heart rate spiked. Eita sucked in a breath, and Tim knew he was drinking this up like the wine he so dearly loved.

Raylan turned back around, and the argument continued.

Eita hummed. “Apparently they were also trying to get out of Lexington. They’re not public.”

“Yeah, well, I have dibs,” Tim spat, “No one cares if Raylan sees his ex, if someone finds out I’m gay it’ll be news of the year.”

Well, maybe not. He kept Eita a secret, but he didn’t exactly hide his orientation, except from Raylan and Art. Rachel was frequently victim to his gay jokes, though it was justified on account of her being gay too. There was probably already a rumor floating around about him, in the very least because of the way Jake from downstairs flirted with him every time their paths crossed at work. And the way Tim sometimes discreetly flirted back.

“Tim.”

If he was someone else, he might have jumped. Instead, he just went rock still and stared at Winona with wide eyes, not knowing how she managed to approach him without him noticing. Of course Eita wouldn’t have said anything, being the little shit he was. He looked back at their table and found it empty. 

Winona saved him from doing another scan for Raylan. “Raylan went to get the car, we had to park far away so we have a few minutes.”

Tim glanced at Eita, who just smiled sweetly. He did make a convincing Good Girl. “Well, what can I do for you?” Tim asked Winona.

Winona leaned on the bar. “I just have a question, if you don’t mind.”

“Shoot,” Tim said.

Winona lowered her voice, but her eyes flicked to Eita briefly, so she knew he was listening when she asked Tim, “How long have you had a crush on Raylan?”

Tim’s heart rate skyrocketed, and he briefly wondered if he was about to have a PTSD episode with the way his ears roared with the sound of his own rushing blood. How did Winona know that? How long had she known? Did Raylan know? How many people were aware of his shitty feelings? Eita rubbed his thumb against Tim’s arm, a subtle gesture of comfort and encouragement.

“I’m not mad,” Winona said, misunderstanding Tim’s reaction, “In fact I’m really curious. It’s not like I blame you, either.”

“Does he know?” Tim asked.

Winona shook her head. “No, he’s dense as a brick when it comes to that. He thinks you’re straight, I’m pretty sure.” Tim was silent and kept staring at her, so she added, “And I have no plans to tell him. Or anyone, for that matter. Like I said, I’m not mad.”

Tim relaxed just a tiny bit. “So, you ain’t gonna use this as blackmail or anything then why are you bringing it up?” They only had a few minutes before Raylan returned, and Tim didn’t want to be around when that happened. Best get to the point.

Winona smiled a little. “I was hoping we could talk sometime. Not now, obviously, but... it’s been too long since I had a gay friend. And I have some crazy stories about Raylan if you wanna hear them.”

She had to have an angle. Tim narrowed his eyes and stared some more, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. She was completely ignoring Eita, so either she saw through the whole facade or she was just that much of a bitch. He genuinely didn’t know which it was.

Eita broke the silence, apparently figuring that Winona wasn’t too dangerous to out himself. “He’d love to,” he said.

If she was shocked at Eita’s deep voice, she didn’t show it. Winona looked at Tim, expecting him to give an answer for himself. Because of the time restraint, he gave up trying to figure out Winona’s angle for now. He drained the rest of his beer. “You got a pen?”

Winona dug a pen out of her purse and handed it to Tim so he could write his number on a napkin. He slid it over to her. “We’re gon’ get outta here before Raylan gets back,” he said.

She folded the napkin and put it in her purse. “I’ll text you. And hey, would you mind not telling anyone that you saw us here? I’m not sure about making Raylan and I public.”

Tim nodded. “Long as you keep my secret, I’ll keep yours.”

“That dress is perfect for your figure,” Eita said.

Winona smiled. “Thanks.”

Tim hooked his arm around Eita and dragged him away before he could say something stupid like _’you should be a stripper.’_ He had told people that before. It never went down well.

The gods of old smiled upon them apparently, because they managed to slip out and get to Tim’s car without either of them seeing that fucking Stetson hat.

—

Not that Tim wasn’t going to be bothered by Stetson hats that night. Eita owned one, and he wore it to the car when Tim dropped him off at his place to put away his new clothes and get what he needed for the night at Tim’s.

“No,” Tim said. He locked the door when Eita approached, making him scoff and glare into the window. Tim glared back. “Put the fucking hat back, Eita.”

Eita pouted, and Tim made a disgusted noise. The man was twenty-three, but sometimes he acted like a god damned five year old. He was apparently into men who were childish assholes. He unlocked the door and ignored Eita’s laughter as he got in the car.

“Howdy partner,” Eita said, tipping his hat.

“Raylan don’t say _howdy_ ,” Tim argued.

Eita giggled. “What does he say then?”

“He says, fuck off.”

Eita sat back in his seat. “Does he go, _fuck off, Tim._ ” The accent was spot-on, and it was shocking enough that Tim didn’t suppress his shiver. Eita busted out laughing, and Tim resisted the urge to yell in embarrassment. Instead, he focused on getting to his house.

It was a small house, with only two bedrooms and one tiny bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. One of the bedrooms was used as storage, mainly. He never wanted a house anyway, but when he got his dog he knew he needed a backyard.

The dog, a husky named Lieutenant, howled and ran in circles when they arrived. “Hey baby girl,” Tim greeted, bending down to kiss her head before letting her out in the backyard.

“I’ll go get dressed,” Eita said.

“Alright, you want something to drink? Snacks?” Tim leaned on the counter and watched Lieutenant sniff around and do her business outside. His cat, Sergeant Major, jumped on the counter and rubbed on his arm affectionately.

“Nah,” Eita answered from the bathroom — the house was small enough you could hear — “You’re a good enough snack. But make sure you brush your teeth, I hate the taste of beer.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Tim said. He wasn’t sure Eita heard him, but it didn’t matter. Tim always brushed his teeth first, and Eita always took off his makeup first. They had been seeing each other for almost a year, and they’d figured each other out well enough, knew what the other liked.

It wasn’t really a sugar relationship, but Eita liked calling it that, and Tim didn’t mind. There _was_ a seven-year age difference, and Tim always paid for everything. He hated wine, but he bought cases of it for Eita to drink when they hung out at Tim’s house. And that’s usually what they did. They watched TV and movies, drinking beer or wine from their respective bottles and enjoyed each other’s company. Used to be, they’d talk a bit, have sex, then watch TV, but the past month has just been the last part. He was a bit excited to get back into it.

Even though Eita had a kink for Tim’s crushes on other men, apparently.

When Tim finished washing up, he turned into the little hallway leading to his room, he found Eita leaning against the doorframe, wearing a pair of tight jeans, cowboy boots, and that god damned hat.

Tim grimaced, because that hat actually did get a reaction out of his dick, and he hated it. He was the most pathetic man in the world.

“Come on, baby,” Eita said, and Tim wondered how much he’d practiced that Kentucky accent. He was from Chicago originally.

“What if I wanna have sex with Eita Semi, not Raylan Givens?” He was proud that his voice didn’t break at Raylan’s name.

Eita grinned, and his accent returned to normal. “You _are_ having sex with Eita Semi, but Eita Semi _really_ likes how hot and embarrassed you get when I do this. Besides, it’s not the weirdest thing I’ve done.”

The truth of that statement hit Tim suddenly, and he had flashbacks of all the roleplay Eita’s talked him into. Compared to pretending to be a hitman sent to kill Eita, letting Eita pretend to be a cowboy Marshal was nothing. Though he _did_ like the goth vampire one.

Resigning, Tim met Eita in the doorframe and put his hands on Eita’s waist, feeling his hot skin.

“Your hands are cold,” Eita whispered.

Tim leaned in and kissed the side of his mouth. “Your body’s warm.”

He kissed Eita slow, savoring it. Tim loved kisses. He loved the intimacy, the feeling of vulnerability. It was such a contrast to how he lived most of his life, it was like taking in fresh air after weeks of being stuck inside.

Even though there was no emotion in it, even though he knew they were only using each other for comfort in an otherwise lonely and mentally unstable life, Tim let himself enjoy it.


	2. Chapter 2

Raylan never had a problem with Tim. He was funny, easy to be around, even fun at times. Hell, Raylan had thought Tim was _trustworthy_. He had never felt safer than knowing Tim was somewhere pointing a gun at Raylan’s adversaries. Trustworthy, until the moment he walked into a bar to find him piss drunk with Winona just as wasted in his lap, having the time of their lives.

Raylan watched from where he stood just inside the door, not realizing his hand had gone to his gun holster until the cold of the gun touched his fingers. He kept it there, though he didn’t intend to use it. Its presence was comforting. 

This was karma, wasn’t it? He cheated on Ava — a good woman, all things considered — with his ex-wife, and now his ex-wife cheats on him with his co-worker. Give some, take some.

Tim was telling some kind of story he thought was the shit, and Winona hung on him like she was one of the sex workers at Audrey’s. That’s how Raylan knew she was drunk — she never acted like that sober.

He supposed he wasn’t completely surprised. Tim being the guy she did it with had him floored, but he saw Winona cheating from a mile away. She didn’t really like Raylan, but was drawn to him. Just like how it’d always been, really. She knew what she wanted, and demanded it of Raylan, but he couldn’t provide and she knew it deep down. But she kept trying to pull it from him anyway, just like when she asked him to marry her, just like when she asked him to quit his job the hundredth time, just like when she’d walked into his motel room that night and taken off her ring. And he’d allowed it, baited her even, showing up at her house like he did.

They were disastrous together.

Winona screamed in laughter at the punchline of whatever story Tim was telling, and now they were both losing their shit. She wrapped her arms around him and put her forehead on his shoulder while she laughed, and then she leaned in to murmur something absolutely _hilarious_ in Tim’s ear, and he busted out laughing, spilling a bit of his drink in the process.

Would Tim be better than him? He was better than Gary, by a state’s length, but he was a Marshal too, and Winona wouldn’t like that. But maybe he wasn’t as much of a workaholic. Maybe he’d even quit the job for her.

_Alright, that’s enough._

Once he was done brooding in the doorway, Raylan shoved past the patrons in his way while he sauntered over to their table, cheeky grin cocked and ready.

Tim saw him first, and his mirth disappeared slowly as he realized the situation. Raylan settled his classic stance, leaning on one foot with hands on hips, displaying his holstered gun. Tim’s eyes were too slow as they traveled down to the gun and back up, but Raylan attributed that to drunkenness.

Winona eventually caught on and she looked up, then gasped and sat up straight. “Raylan!” Despite her clear inebriation, she tried to act normal. “What are you doing here?”

Raylan kept his eyes on Tim for a moment before turning to address her. “I was just going to have a drink, but I saw you having quite a bit of fun with my co-worker and I thought I should join you.”

Winona and Tim looked at each other nervously. Winona gasped again. “Oh my god, Raylan.” She stumbled out of Tim’s lap and straightened out her pencil dress, which had ridden up quite a bit. “It’s not what it looks like I swear to God.”

“Oh!” Raylan raised his eyebrows and shifted his weight. “Please, enlighten me.”

Tim’s jaw set and for the first time Raylan thought he saw fear in his eyes. Tim was not a fearful man. The most nervous Raylan’d ever seen him was when a couple of old farts approached him at an office party to trap him into small talk.

“We were just—“ Winona sent a pleading expression at Tim, who was just setting money on the table for the drinks.

Tim looked between the two of them, then threw up his hands. “I’m sorry,” he said, going to stand up and only wavering slightly. “This _is_ what it looks like.” He looked at Winona, who seemed like she had just been thrown under the bus. “I’m sorry, Winona, I shouldn’t be here.” He gave Raylan a glance before he started to leave. “I’m sorry, Raylan.”

“Tim?” Winona asked, her tone clearly angry. She went to follow him (how the hell does she walk in those heels at all, let alone drunk as she is?) but Raylan stuck out his arm to stop her.

“Winona.”

Winona glared at him and pointed at Tim’s fleeing figure. “But—“

“I don’t give a shit about Tim,” Raylan said, “This is about you and me. Now I’mon take you back to my place, and we’re gon’ talk about this when you’re sober.”

Winona looked like she wanted to yell at Tim, but she couldn’t figure out what before Tim had fled the premises, and she scoffed in frustration. “Raylan I swear to God—“  


“No,” Raylan said. He took hold of her arm and gently guided her toward the door. “We’re not talking about this while you’re drunk.”

She huffed, but thankfully was silent the whole way home. Verbally silent, that is. Raylan was achingly familiar with the waves of passive aggression being pointed at him, something that he remembered from Arlo as a kid. It felt wrong to compare Winona to Arlo, but Raylan had to admit that they had similarities. It made it easier to deal with the psychological strain of being with Winona. Like right now, her body language was like a scolding, telling him that it’s his fault that this happened, as opposed to it being hers. He knew better, though. At 40 years old he was starting to see through that bullshit.

—

Raylan ignored Tim when he walked into work the next day, and Tim avoided eye contact, but he looked like shit. Dark circles underlined his eyes and he didn’t say anything to anyone, not even for one of his sarcastic quips. Raylan wasn’t sure if it was a hangover or guilt. And honestly, he didn’t really care all that much.

He had left Winona in his motel room that morning, not wanting to have the talk with her while she was hung over and groggy. He didn’t want to wait either, but there was nothing for it. It did give him time to think, though.

He didn’t want to be with Winona anymore. She was beautiful, and he was in love with her, but she was terrible for him. In her mind, he never did anything right. Every time he said something, she found a way for it to be wrong and blamed him for it. He dealt with that shit from Arlo, and even Aunt Helen too sometimes, and it wrecked him from the inside. He was getting old. He deserved some god damned peace. Even if it meant being lonely and still in love with his ex, it was better than being with her and miserable. At least, he kept telling himself that all day.

He should have never left Ava. She was a good woman, even though he never fell in love with her. He might have been able to, given time, if Winona hadn’t thrown a stone in it.

—

Winona wasn’t at his motel room when he got back, and he didn’t call her. He was hesitant, like always. They had done this a million times, hadn’t they? Gotten angry, gotten through with each other, called it off, then just got together again. It felt like a waste of time. Though maybe that was his emotional exhaustion speaking.

It was a bit later, when Raylan had just gotten out of the shower, before he got a text from Tim.

> Tim Gutterson (7:34 pm): Can we talk? In person?

Raylan sighed and put down his phone. He didn’t want to deal with this. He pulled on a white tank top and some pajama pants and got himself a beer from the fridge before he answered.

> Raylan Givens (7:43 pm): Nothing to talk about.
> 
> Tim Gutterson (7:43 pm): I have something I need to tell you.

Raylan sat down in the chair by his bed and sighed. He didn’t want to talk to Tim. It gave him a bad feeling in his gut. Still, he couldn’t ignore Tim, what with them being right next to each other at work. Tim would say what he wanted to say. Might as well get it over with.

> Raylan Givens (7:50 pm): 3490 Beach Rd, Room 24, Lexington KY
> 
> Tim Gutterson (7:51 pm): I’m on my way.

Raylan leaned back and finished his beer while he waited. Not even twenty minutes later, he heard Tim drive up and jump out of his car. Raylan waited until he knocked before he answered the door.

Tim was wearing his usual black leather jacket and jeans, but this time he also wore a nervous expression. Raylan nodded at him. “Come inside. Can I get you a drink?”

Tim breathed in, then out, then shook his head. “I just need to get this out there and be on my way.”

“Okay then.” Raylan stepped in the doorframe and leaned against it, crossing his arms. “I’m listening.”

Tim took another deep breath, but this one was longer. He kept intense eye contact with Raylan, and it _almost_ unnerved him, but he reminded himself that he had the upper hand here. 

“Winona wasn’t cheating on you,” Tim began, “We were out having drinks and...” Now his gaze faltered. “She found out something about me and we were bonding over it, and I came here to tell you what it is, because it’s important.” Tim’s voice broke and he cleared his throat while looking at his shoes, and Raylan furrowed his brow when he saw Tim’s shaking hands.

“Your hands are shaking,” he said out loud, just because of the oddity. Tim was a sniper in the Rangers. He didn’t get _scared_.

Tim nodded and opened his mouth multiple times to try and say something, a couple of them even getting a syllable out before stopping abruptly. Eventually he closed his eyes and went very still, and took a few deep breaths as if getting ready for something.

Raylan was growing impatient. “Tim, I’m not angry with you. Surprised, disappointed, but Winona and I have had—“

“She found out that I’m gay and I got it bad for you and that’s what we were bonding over at the bar.”

Raylan stopped mid-sentence, his hands frozen in the air for a moment while he stared at Tim and wondered if he had heard right. An unfamiliar feeling hit him in the gut, one similar to panic but not exactly.

Tim kept his eyes down. “I let you think she cheated because I chickened out and didn’t want you to know the truth. But that was wrong of me, she didn’t do nothing wrong, and I had to come clean. So there you go.” His eyes moved like he was going to look at Raylan, but stopped half way there and he simply turned and started walking down the steps back to his car.

It took Raylan a couple of seconds to process it, and Tim had already opened his door before he said, “Tim.”

Tim froze, but didn’t look at him.

Raylan waited a few seconds, but when it was clear Tim wasn’t going to move, he said, “Thank you.”

Tim finally looked at him with a deer-in-the-headlights expression.

“For telling me,” Raylan clarified.

They both stood there for a few seconds, frozen in time, before Tim nodded and got in his car. Raylan watched him drive off, and stood in the doorway for another minute before going back inside. His head was ringing and any time he tried to fully think about what Tim had said, his brain cut it off. 

At a loss, he called Winona.

_”Hello?”_

”Tim told me. The reason you two were drinking. That he uh... bats for the other team.”

_”...Oh.”_

“Yeah.”

_”Raylan, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I just—“_

“No, no. It wasn’t your business to tell.” It was quiet for a moment, then Raylan said, “He told me you two were bonding. What does that mean?”

_”We were just... You know, It’s been a long time since I had a gay guy friend, so we were... He was telling me stories about some of the experiences he’d had with men and I was telling him stuff about you.”_

“What kind of stuff?”

_”You know, little pieces of information. Like how you talk in your sleep, how you have a soft spot for dogs even though you pretend like you don’t, what you’re like in bed, you know.”_

Raylan raised his eyebrows. “One of those things isn’t like the others.”

Winona sighed. _”Raylan, you should have seen the look on his face. No, actually, I shouldn’t talk about him. It’s not my place.”_

That panicky feeling returned. “You were talking about _me_.”

Winona was quiet, and Raylan sighed, trying to clear his head. “Fine.”

_”Raylan?”_

“Hm?”

Winona hesitated. _”...I never asked you if you swing that way, but if you do... Tim is a great man. And I think he’d be good for you.”_

Hearing that was almost like being punched. After a few seconds, Raylan chuckled despite the panicked feeling that was quickly turning into nausea in his stomach. “As opposed to us being together?”

_”I just,”_ Winona scoffed a little. _”I don’t know, Raylan. I don’t know if I can handle you. And I was just thinking, Tim probably could, being a Marshal and all.”_

So it was about his job. Again. “Well... I’ll keep that in mind,” Raylan said in a tone that meant _thanks, but no thanks._ “Good night, Winona.”

_“Good night, Raylan.”_

The head ringing was back when he hung up, and Raylan wondered if he had hit his head or something. He considered drinking more, but that probably wouldn’t help. It would just make him feel worse in the morning at this point.

He tried watching TV, but he couldn’t focus. If he were to compare his mind to a TV, it would be playing all the channels at once while simultaneously showing static. He chalked it up to the usual stress of seeing Winona, along with the shock of finding out his co-worker was gay, even though in the back of his head he doubted that was all. He had met plenty of LGBT people before, and it was never an issue. They were everywhere in Miami. His old boss was bisexual, and they’d even shared a few light-hearted jokes about it every now and then. 

It wasn’t until he had laid down to sleep an hour later that it finally registered.

Tim was gay, _and he had a crush on Raylan_. And for some reason, that made Raylan feel like he was in high school again, seeing the prospect of love and sex for the first time. Like it was all new and unfamiliar.

But in reality, he knew all about love and sex. This was just a different kind, nothing to be spooked over. He’d spent most of his life as the object of affection of women here and there, co-workers included, this shouldn’t be too hard to deal with. He’d been flirted with by men before too, especially in Miami. Maybe being in Kentucky had sparked some homophobia in him. If that were the case, he had better get over it quick. Tim was his friend, and a good person. He deserved better than that.

Even with his mind made up, Winona’s voice still haunted him all night.

_”Tim is a great man, and I think he’d be good for you.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Pls talk to me about Justified shipping I’m gay and lonely in this fandom my tumblr is farmjew hmu


End file.
